By Spencer Coile
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I remember being 14 years-old, sobbing in front of the television as Will & Grace ended its eight year run. I had grown up with the show, learned a lot about myself through watching the show. It was truly the end of an era. Of course, in 2017, with people's desire for nostalgia running rampant -- it was only a matter of time before this groundbreaking NBC sitcom would return for its second wind. In very much the same was as Gilmore Girls, Full House, and One Day at a Time, our pals, Will, Grace, Jack, and Karen are back to remind audiences what was so rewarding about their shows in the first place.
But considering we live in an altogether different social and political climate, one drastically different than in 1998 when the series first aired, is there space for Will & Grace?
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The first crucial step in reviving a hit television classic is throwing out the window any form of logic. If you remember, the series finale to Will & Grace included the dynamic duo disbanding their friendship to be with the men they love, having children of their own, and finally reconciling when their two kids meet, fall in love, and get married. The first three minutes of the series' return, titled "11 Years Later," negate everything that the series finale threw our way -- it was all a fever dream concocted by Karen. Will and Grace are both divorced, Jack still lives in the apartment across the hall from Will, and Karen is still as rich as ever. And we're back to the shenanigans we had come to love for so many years!
Will & Grace's forte has always been tackling as many pop culture references as they could in one episode, and that banter is still airtight in its ninth season. But now, we are getting a double dosage of political talk. For instance, in "11 Years Later," Will is flirting with a Republican congressman and Karen talks to Melania Trump and gets Grace a White House decorating gig (because, of course Trump is Karen's "guy"). And admittedly, not every joke lands the way it should (Grace leaving a "Make America Gay Again" hat in the Oval Office felt a little too trite for my liking), but what we are witnessing is a Will & Grace that relies on its own brand of humor, but adjusting it to 2017. And sure, not every idea will play out realistically, but has that ever been a strength of the show in the first place?
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The return of Will & Grace also marks a potentially fascinating move for the series. Long after it was off the air was when many critics and fans decried its progressiveness (or lack thereof), insinuating that the series took many jabs at anyone who wasn't a white gay man. And looking back, there were numerous jokes at the expense of lesbians and transgender individuals. Of course it is still okay to enjoy the series for what it was, because remember, it was a product of its time, and was still groundbreaking in its own right. And who knows? Perhaps this revival will give the series a second chance at being inclusive, and equal to different members of the LGBTQ+ community, without making jokes at their expense.
In an extremely divisive time in our country, perhaps Will & Grace is the ideal antidote. No, it isn't perfect (it never was) and "11 Years Later" worked double-time to ensure that any plot point from the eighth season was eliminated entirely, but there is something so familiar and so comforting to know that we can enjoy the banter and chemistry between the series' four leads. It is still biting, quick-witted, and full of heart. And so now, 11 years later, I can turn my TV back on and feel right at home, because Will & Grace is officially back.